RESUMO
A highly virulent strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) was isolated from pheasants in an unvaccinated private imported flock in the Rathwania area near Baghdad, Iraq, which was suffering from ND. The virus was propagated in 9-day-old specific pathogen-free chicken embryos. It was characterised by the following tests: intracerebral pathogenicity index (ICPI), intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI), mean death time (MDT), haemagglutinin stability at 56 degrees C and mammalian erythrocyte agglutination. The ICPI, IVPI and MDT for the virus were: 1.89, 2.63 and 64 hours respectively. The stability of its haemagglutinin at 56 degrees C was 120 minutes. It agglutinated chicken and pheasant but not bovine, equine and human type "O" erythrocytes.